Four approaches to the study of Political Geography

1. Power Analysis:

   a. Physical-landscape, geography

   b. Movement-transportation, migration, roads

   c. Raw Materials-do you have it? if so, what type?

   d. Population-larger military force, manpower

   e. The Body Politic-this is how a country is governed, how flexible is it, how does it respond to stress

2. Morphological Approach (deals with shape-studies political areas according to their form):

   a. Pattern-arrangements formed by the association of political units such as national states, regional blocs (NATO), global alliances (UN), or internal administrative divisions.

*international or domestic

   b. Structure-spatial features that political units have in common, ex. population, economic cores, capitals, boundaries, problem areas or units

*county, state, or province

3. Historical Approach:

   A focus on the past to attempt to analyze and understand current problems.

*problem: things change, technology

4. Functional Approach:

   A concern with the functioning of an area as a political unit-what does it do? what is its value?

   Every political area is subdivided into subordinate areas, each with its own governmental functions:

                     +Proper functioning requires Unity (people have to agree to be governed that way)

                     +Unity is aided by: Homogeneity, Coherence, Viability (internal & external "legitimacy")

                       Viability means that the people in your country have to buy into your situation, it gives you legitimacy internally, and other countries have to recognize you, giving you legitimacy externally.

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